


A Vashoth Romance

by SmokeysWife



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 01:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18325541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmokeysWife/pseuds/SmokeysWife
Summary: A Herah Adaar/Cullen romance with a smidgen of Cassandra/Varric and Adoribull on the side.





	A Vashoth Romance

**Author's Note:**

> Herah Adaar was my very first Inquisitor and while I love the Bull romance with the right Adaar, none of the available romances felt right for her. Shout out to Dorian, Varric and Cass who will always be my Quizzy's BFFs.
> 
> As usual, thank you to Bioware for letting us play in their world. World, characters and in-game dialogue all belong to them.

‘Maker, that’s good!’ Herah said, smacking her lips softly in appreciation. She picked up the bottle of whisky and looked closely at the label, tilting it towards the firelight to better read the faded writing.

‘Mmmm,’ Varric hummed in agreement, as he swirled the amber liquid in its glass and took a sip. ‘The trip to the Hissing Wastes wasn’t entirely without reward then? Have I thanked you for not taking me on that one by the way?’

‘You mean you didn’t fancy a trip to a barren wasteland with nothing for miles but Venatori, dwarf ruins and fade rifts? I’m shocked,’ Dorian said, pouring himself a glass of Tevinter red. Varric chuckled.

‘I thought you’d enjoy it, Sparkler. All those Venatori to kill.’

‘I’m not sure that makes up for the fact I’m still finding sand in crevices I didn’t know I had.’

‘I think the company may have made up for it,’ Herah said, smirking at the mage from over her glass. Dorian tipped his glass toward her.

‘Well of course, Lady Adaar. With your company, a man can endure a great deal.’

‘Why thank you, Ser Pavus, but that wasn’t the company I was referring to.’

The mage flushed in the dim light cast from the small fire he had conjured to keep the three of them warm, and he took a quick gulp of wine.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Well other than the Inquisitor and yourself, it was just Tiny and Chuckles wasn’t it? Didn’t realise Chuckles was your type…’

Herah let out a snort, which she quickly masked by taking another sip of whisky. Dorian made an indignant noise.

‘You honestly think I’d…’ He stopped and took another gulp of wine and looked at Herah, recovering his composure and gaining a mischievous glint.

‘It was just innocent banter, didn’t mean to step on any toes.’

Varric spluttered in surprise and turned to Herah.

‘You and Tiny? You kept that quiet!’

‘Didn’t want it becoming part of your next novel now, did I?’

‘I’m hurt, my lady.’

She chuckled. ‘It was just the once. I was curious. Besides, he’s the only Qunari I’ve seen for ages.’

‘And it’s only Qunari that do it for you?’

‘Not exactly,’ she said. ‘But men of other species tend to be a bit put off by tall and muscular.’

‘We are an insecure lot as a whole,’ Dorian sighed. ‘I’ve always found tall and muscular appealing myself.’

Herah snorted. ‘Yes, its not that feature of my physique that would put you off.’

‘So, you’re not…’ Varric prompted.

‘No. Bull is great, and I can’t say it wasn’t… interesting. But his tastes differ a bit from mine.’

‘Now I’m intrigued,’ Dorian said, leaning forward. ‘His tastes?’

Herah shook her head.

‘I’m not one to kiss and tell. You’ll just have to find out for yourself, won’t you?’ she said, with a wink. ‘I will say, though, that he knows what he’s doing. He won’t take you past your limits.’

‘Thank you,’ Dorian said, sarcastically. ‘That completely abated my curiousity.’

Herah grinned wickedly and sat back.

‘So, what’s been going on here while we’ve been gone?’ she asked, turning to Varric.

‘The usual. The Seeker is still pissed at me over Hawke, Ruffles is at her wits end ‘cos Buttercup won’t stop pranking the dignitaries…’

Herah didn’t quite manage to suppress as sigh: no doubt Josephine would be asking her to do something about it. Varric shot her a sympathetic look before continuing, ‘Nightingale’s been keeping to her nest, the kid has been freaking people out and Hero has been keeping to the stables a lot. Curly’s been surprisingly moody though.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Cullen?’

‘I know, surprised me too. He’s usually such a ray of sunshine.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘He’s dedicated that’s all. He puts too much on himself.’

‘Hmmm… Well I’m used to him not getting my jokes, but I don’t normally have to worry about being used for target practice by the recruits.’

‘If it was the joke you told me about the Divine, the templar and the apostate…’

‘Ha! Now that was a good one! I wish I’d remembered it at the time. Although, now I come to think about it, maybe that was fortunate….’

‘Maybe he’s been missing us,’ Dorian said, pouring himself another glass of wine, and smirking at Varric.

‘Had crossed my mind,’ Varric said, with a significant look at the Inquisitor.

‘Please,’ she said dismissively, taking another sip from her glass to mask the sudden warmth in her cheeks.

‘You do spend a lot of time with him when you’re in Skyhold you know,’ Varric commented.

‘He’s the commander of the Inquisition armies,’ Herah said.

‘It can’t all be work.’

‘It’s not,’ Dorian said, eyes twinkling. ‘They play chess frequently.’

‘Ah, the lesser known courtship rituals of the human race.’

‘I wouldn’t know,’ Herah said, pointedly.

‘No,’ Dorian said. ‘From what I understand the courtship rituals of the Qunari are slightly more physical than intellectual.’

‘I’m not sure I’d know about that either. Vashoth, remember?’

‘Surely Bull…’

‘Bull may be a… special case.’

Varric snorted, loudly. ‘That’s putting it mildly. But our dear Inquisitor is changing the subject.’

‘Dorian spends just as much time playing chess with the Commander as I do,’ Herah said archly.

‘And I can’t say I’d turn him down, if he showed even the slightest bit of interest,’ Dorian said smugly.

Herah rolled her eyes and topped up the whisky glasses. She took another sip before responding.

‘I’m not his type either,’ she said, her cheeks glowing now.

Varric frowned while Dorian chuckled.

‘Doesn’t go for well built, horny ladies huh?’

Herah let out a laugh in spite of herself. ‘Apparently not.’

‘You tried?’ Varric asked in interest. Herah nodded fractionally, avoiding their gazes.

‘He caught my eye when I first arrived in Haven, so I did some, er… subtle probing. He was very gentlemanly about it, but he left me in no doubt that he wasn’t looking for anything. At least, not with me. It’s not something either of us have mentioned since.’

‘Now that just won’t do,’ Dorian said, topping up his own glass. ‘What did he say exactly?’

‘Maker that was months ago!’ Herah said. ‘I think I asked him something about whether he’d left anyone behind at Kirkwall, and he said no. So I asked him if he’d seen anyone around Haven and he said something along the lines of ‘ummm… ah… well I… haven’t looked if I’m honest. Umm… ah… far too busy… umm ah… sure you understand.’’

Dorian and Varric guffawed at her impression, and Herah laughed along with them, feeling a weight lift as she did so. The embarrassing episode had been weighing on her for some time.

‘Seriously though,’ Varric said, wiping away a tear from his eye, ‘Haven was months ago. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. And I’m not so sure our Commander is as adverse to tall, horned women as he may have led you to believe.’

‘You’re assuming I’m still interested,’ Herah said.

‘You’re not?’ Dorian asked.

Herah shrugged and took another sip of her drink.

‘I can’t change who or what I am.’

‘You think he doesn’t like who you are?’ Varric asked, disbelievingly.

‘I think she’s more concerned about the what,’ Dorian said.

‘The size thing? Nonsense! He’s only a couple of inches shorter than you at most. If Harding can hook up with Blackwall…’

Whatever Varric was going to say was drowned out by the splutters of his companions.

‘What?!’ Herah and Dorian asked in unison. He laughed.

‘Didn’t know that one either then?’ he said innocently. ‘Looks like there’s a lot of gossip to catch you up on.’

 

When Herah waved her friends out the door an hour or so later she felt tired but content. She didn’t know what she’d do without Varric and Dorian. And Cassandra, although the antagonistic relationship she had with Varric made it difficult for them to spend time together as a group.

She looked down at the anchor on her hand and sighed softly. It was hard to believe that she had known them less than a year. So much had happened, it was hard to keep up.

She walked back up the stairs to her chamber, her eyes alighting on the large pile of paperwork on her desk. She had a couple of hours left before her usual time to retire and she really ought to read through it this evening to know what the morrow had in store. With a heavy sigh she moved to sit down, when a knock sounded at the door to her chambers.

Varric or Dorian, she thought as she smiled fondly, and walked back down the stairs.

‘Did you forget someth-?’ she began, as she opened the door.

‘Ah, Inquisitor. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb.’

‘Not at all, Commander,’ she said with a smile, a faint blush on her cheeks as she recalled the conversation she had been having with her friends not an hour before. ‘I just finished my debrief with Varric and Dorian, and was about to tackle the small mountain of paperwork threatening to bury me on my desk. A disruption would be most welcome. Do you want to come up?’

She turned and left him to close the door behind him as he followed her up the stairs.

‘We came across a rather nice bottle of whisky while we were out ridding the Wastes of the Venatori. Do you want a glass?’ she asked, gesturing to the bottle on the table.

‘I shouldn’t,’ he said, but she recognised the tone. With a smile she poured him a healthy measure, and another for herself before picking up the glasses and moving towards the balcony.

‘Do you mind sitting outside? I prefer it to being cooped up in the castle.’

‘Of course,’ he said, taking the glass with a murmur of thanks, and moving to sit in the seat Varric had vacated not long before. Herah took her seat and conjured a small fire to give them both warmth and light.

‘Maker, but this is good! Where did you find it?’ Cullen said, looking at the glass in appreciation.

‘It was hidden in a Venatori stash we came across. I’m impressed Varric left you any to be honest.’

‘You seem close, the two of you?’

‘He’s a good friend,’ she said, smiling fondly. ‘He helps to remind me what’s important.’

Cullen nodded thoughtfully and took another sip. She waited for him to break the silence, but the Commander sat staring out in the darkness.

‘So, what can I do for you, Cullen?’ she asked kindly after several moments had passed. ‘I’m guessing you didn’t just come here to sample the spoils from our trip.’

‘How was it?’ he asked, turning to her. ‘The mission? We were expecting you all back a week ago. Leliana was close to sending her crows out.’

‘We met a bit more resistance than we were expecting,’ she said. ‘Those red templar rock things really pack a punch.’

‘You were hurt?’ he asked, worry lacing his voice. She dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand.

‘Nothing Solas couldn’t patch up. I’ll need to get some new armour if I’m continuing as a knight enchanter though.’

‘Knight enchanter?’ he asked in surprise. ‘I hadn’t realised you’d chosen your specialism yet. I have to admit, I’m glad you didn’t choose necromancy. A little surprised you didn’t go for rift mage though.’

‘Necromancy does not appeal,’ she said with a small shudder. ‘I did consider rift mage, but the trainer was… odd. Besides, I’ve always enjoyed being in the midst of the action. This way, I get the best of both worlds. Vivienne was over the moon. I think she’s adopted me as her protégé.’

‘There are worse mentors.’

‘I thought so.’

Herah took another sip of her whisky. ‘So, how have things been here? Anything to report?’

‘Not much,’ he said. ‘I’ve sent the grey wardens out to do some good in the world. They seemed grateful for the opportunity. I half expected Blackwall to go with them, but he’s been helping to train up some of the new recruits instead.’

‘How’s that going?’ Herah asked carefully. Cullen took another mouthful of whisky, letting it play over his tongue as he considered his answer.

‘He’s a very good tactician and his fighting skills are superb,’ he said eventually. ‘He can be a little…’

‘Sanctimonious?’ Herah suggested and was rewarded with the sight of her commander trying not to spit out his drink. She winked at him and he blushed.

‘I was going to go for self-righteous,’ he said. ‘I know that some of our men won’t make it, but I’d like to keep the losses to a minimum. I don’t want them to feel they need to be martyrs to our cause.’

Herah nodded in understanding. ‘He chastised me when we first arrived at Skyhold. I made the mistake of telling him I didn’t want him to die for me.’

Cullen raised his eyebrows and she shrugged.

‘Becoming Inquisitor meant a lot of our allies gave me their opinion on how we should be running the Inquisition. It was good advice, and they meant well, but trying to keep everyone happy…’

She trailed off, looking out over the balcony.

‘Can be hard,’ he finished for her. ‘For what it’s worth, Herah, I think you’re doing a good job.’

She turned back in surprise at the use of her given name and found him watching her.

‘Thank you,’ she said, with a small smile. ‘So how are you coping? The withdrawal…?’

‘Is better some days than others,’ he said. ‘But I find myself able to bear it. Thank you for being so understanding about that. There are many who would have been less so.’

‘We are only as strong as our people, Cullen. And I would have done the same for any of my friends.’

‘You-You consider me a friend then?’ he asked. She glanced at him, but he was looking out over the night.

‘I do,’ she said. He turned back to her, smiling faintly. Swallowing the last of his whisky, he stood, brushing down his armour.

‘Well, I should leave you to your paperwork. I wouldn’t want the Inquisition to fail because the Inquisitor had been crushed to death.’

She chuckled. ‘Thank you, commander. And thank you for coming to see me. It has been good to catch up. We should do it more often.’

‘I, ah, I’d like that,’ he said, with a smile. ‘Good night, Inquisitor.’

It wasn’t until after he left, that she realised he’d never told her why he came.

 

‘About time you came to see me.’

Herah suppressed a sigh at the petulant voice. She always took the time to work her way around Skyhold and speak to everyone when she got back from a long mission, but it could be wearing. She forced herself to grin at the rogue.

‘Well, you know how it is. Pesky demons and all that. How have things been here?’

‘Everyone’s been bloody miserable. Don’t worry, I’ve been cheering them up a bit though.’

‘I heard, and I have to say I’m impressed. There’s not many who have managed to prank Leliana. You may well have made an enemy for life.’ Sera looked almost disconcerted for a moment, and Herah had to hide the spark of amusement that threatened to erupt as a giggle. ‘Don’t worry, I’ve managed to reign her in for the time being, but if you could keep your pranks away from my advisors and the visiting nobility I’d appreciate it.’

‘But…’

‘No buts. Why don’t you have a go at cheering Blackwall up? I went to see him earlier and he is most definitely in need of it.’

Sera let out a loud huff, but Herah could tell she wasn’t too upset. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to lay it on a little thick.

‘For me?’ she pleaded, doing her best wide-eyed, beguiling expression. Sera rolled her eyes, which Herah took as a yes. With a wink, she left her room and wandered upstairs to find Cole.

‘How are you, Cole?’ she asked, finding him in his usual corner.

‘I like it here,’ he said. ‘You are doing good work, helping.’

She felt a sudden lightness in her chest. Cole was a little odd, and she could understand how others might find him disconcerting, but he always knew how to make her feel like maybe she was doing okay after all.

‘Thank you,’ she said, smiling at him.

‘You worry about making people happy. You shouldn’t,’ he continued. ‘Your choices are good.’

Herah shifted, starting to feel a little uncomfortable. He did have that habit of revealing just a little more than she would like.

‘So you are happy then, Cole?’ she asked.

He looked at her and smiled. Deciding that was as good as it was going to get today, she turned to go back downstairs.

‘The lyrium calls to him,’ Cole said. She paused and turned back to look at him. ‘He wants to be strong, wants to resist, but he is struggling. So close. So close to giving in. To finding release. But he knows if he does, it will haunt him. Take him. Drag him back into the abyss.’

Herah turned sharply, moving from the stairs to the door to the battlements in a matter of seconds. Walking quickly through the abandoned tower, it took her only a minute or two to reach Cullen’s office.

‘Commander?’ she called tentatively. There was no answer, and she moved over to the desk. A lyrium kit lay on it, untouched. She turned as one of Cullen’s aides entered.

‘If you’re looking for the commander, he’s talking with the Seeker, your worship.’

She nodded in thanks and, as quickly as she could without causing alarm, went down to the courtyard.

‘You promised me, Seeker!’

Herah came up short, as she heard the raised voice of her commander. He broke off as he saw her.

‘Forgive me,’ he mumbled, brushing past her. Cassandra let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her hand across her brow.

‘Is everything okay?’ Herah asked. Cassandra shook her head.

‘You should talk to him,’ she said. ‘He may listen to you.’

Herah nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand. ‘I’ll come see you later.’

Turning she ran off after the commander, stopping as she reached his door. Pushing it open she flinched as the lyrium kit hit the frame beside her.

‘Maker’s breath! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there,’ Cullen said, slumping over his desk. Herah stepped cautiously into the office, pushing the door behind her.

‘I’m guessing today is one of the harder days,’ she said softly. Cullen looked at her, and her breath caught at the anguish in his eyes. He sagged, looking at the desk as he nodded.

‘Does it hurt?’ she asked, moving to stand in front of him.

‘A bit,’ he said, his voice hoarse. ‘But… less than the alternative. I’m sorry, Inquisitor. I never meant for this to interfere.’

‘Don’t apologise,’ she said. ‘I understand.’

‘You should be questioning this,’ he said harshly. ‘Why should I give less to the inquisition than I gave to the Chantry? I just…’

Herah looked at her commander and realised what needed to be done. Steeling herself, she straightened her shoulders.

‘Are you capable of leading the Inquisition’s forces, Commander?’ she snapped. He looked at her in surprise, but the tone had the desired effect and he straightened automatically.

‘I… Yes.’

‘Then no lyrium. Do you need that in writing?’

He shook his head wordlessly. She stepped forward to retrieve the remaining lyrium. Taking it from him, she tossed it out the window and moved toward the door. She turned as she opened it, and her expression softened.

‘You’re a good man, Commander. I’m here when you need to talk.’

He nodded, and she stepped out onto the battlements, closing the door gently behind her. Breathing in a deep breath, she almost let out a shriek at a soft voice behind her.

‘The demons are quietened now. No more deciding, no more doubting. A good man.’

She turned to look at Cole.

‘He’s happier now?’ she asked. He nodded.

‘You helped,’ he said. She let out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank you, Cole.’

He quirked a smile at her, then vanished. Shaking her head, she walked slowly back along the battlements.

 

‘Reading?’ she said with a smirk, as she came across Cassandra in the courtyard. The warrior jumped, then relaxed as she realised who was speaking.

‘If you tell Varric, I will feed you to the next wyvern we see,’ she said.

‘It’s Varric’s book?’ Herah asked, delighted. Cassandra snorted.

‘It’s dreadful. And wonderful. Wonderful smut.’ She sighed and closed the book. ‘You found Cullen?’

Herah nodded, moving to sit down beside her friend.

‘I ordered him to stop taking lyrium.’

‘You took away his choice?’ Cassandra said. She sounded disbelieving.

‘You think I did the wrong thing?’ Herah asked uncertainly.

‘No,’ Cassandra said, shaking her head. ‘I think you did the only thing that would remove both his doubt and his self-loathing. I just – I would not have thought to manage it in that way.’

Herah smiled. ‘Cole helped. He gave me an insight into our Commander’s state of mind.’ She stared out over the courtyard, hugging her knees to her. ‘He said he is happier now.’

Cassandra nodded slowly.

‘I may not approve completely of… Cole…but I have to admit he seems to mean well.’

Herah turned to her.

‘You’ll come by my quarters this evening? It’s been a while since we caught up, and I’ve a nice bottle of your favourite white chilling on the balcony.’

‘How could I refuse?’

 

‘I cannot believe it!’

Herah laughed out loud at her friend’s exclamation. ‘Is it so shocking?’

‘The idea of a dwarf and a human? Not at all! Why I myself, have…’ Cassandra broke off, her cheeks going pink.

‘What? Who?’ Herah looked at her friend in amazement. ‘Wait – this isn’t the reason you’re always arguing with Varric is it?’

‘What?! No!’ Cassandra’s cheeks grew even pinker. ‘I cannot stand him. He is annoying, and conceited…’

‘And witty, and charming, and brave…’

‘And a liar…’

‘A storyteller.’

Cassandra took a large mouthful of wine and looked out over the skyline. After a moment an impish grin spread over her face. ‘I have to admit, reading Swords and Shields has made me wonder…’

Herah almost squealed, choking on her mouthful of wine as she did so. When she had finished coughing, she looked at Cassandra closely.

‘Seriously?’ she asked. The other woman shrugged.

‘Swords and Shields is smut, but it is good smut. It leads one to wonder whether the person who wrote it might emanate their work.’

‘Well, in that case, perhaps I should be telling Varric about your admiration for his writing after all…’

‘Don’t you dare!’ Cassandra said, shooting a glare at her friend. ‘We both know Varric’s not available.’

‘Ah, the elusive Bianca,’ Herah said with a sigh. ‘You know, Bianca could just be the name of his crossbow.’

‘Umm hmmm. And I could be Andraste re-born.’

Both women chuckled, and Herah poured a little more wine into both their glasses.

‘I saw Dorian leaving Bull’s quarters this morning,’ Cassandra said, with a sly glance at her friend.

‘About bloody time,’ Herah said with a grin.

‘Things are definitely over with the two of you then?’

‘They never really started,’ Herah said with a shrug. ‘Bull’s not the type to commit, and anyway, I prefer my sex simple. Just sex, if you get my drift.’

‘No emotional attachments?’

‘No ropes. Emotional attachment I could have lived with.’

It was Cassandra’s turn to splutter. ‘Ropes?!’

‘Trust me, you don’t want to know the details.’

‘I believe you!’

‘Anyway, we got a little off track. You were busy being shocked about Harding and Blackwall.’

‘I am.’

‘Why?’

‘Well…,’ Cassandra looked around and leaned in conspiratorially.

‘Cassie, we’re the only ones here!’

‘You can never be too cautious!’ Cassandra said, although she sat back. ‘Leliana told me he was seeing Josie.’

‘No!’

Cassandra nodded.

‘If it’s true, Leliana is going to feed his testicles to a high dragon, possibly with him still attached,’ she said.

‘I hope for Josie’s sake, somebody has got their wires crossed. I have to admit, I’d be surprised. Blackwall is many things, but dishonest doesn’t strike me as one of them.’

‘You’re right. He is always very noble in his actions,’ Cassandra said seriously. The two of them glanced at each other and broke into giggles.

‘So, is Swords and Shields really that good?’ Herah asked.

‘I will lend you my copy.’

‘I’m not sure I want to read it. After what you revealed, I don’t think I would be able to separate the characters from Varric in my mind,’ Herah pulled a face, and Cassandra shot her a look.

‘The two of you are very close. You’ve never…?’

‘With Varric? No! He’s a great guy, but he’s not my type. For a start, he only comes up to my waist. The height difference isn’t as pronounced on you.’

‘Some women would see the appeal of that,’ Cassandra commented, and Herah snorted again.

‘I suppose…’ she said, with a wicked grin, which was interrupted by a soft cough behind them.

‘I-ah, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to interrupt,’ Cullen said, rubbing his neck. ‘The door was unbarred, and well…’  
Herah felt the blood rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment.

‘No, um, not at all, Commander. Do you want to join us?’

She could feel Cassandra’s gaze on her.

‘If, um… I mean, if that’s okay?’ he said.

‘Join us, Commander,’ Cassandra said, gesturing for him to sit. She stood and went to retrieve another glass and poured him some wine.

‘Oh, er, thank you,’ he said, taking a large swig. The two women watched him, waiting for him to speak.

‘I, ah, owe you both an apology,’ he said, looking at the wine glass in his hand, rotating it slowly by the stem. He looked up and met Herah’s gaze. ‘And, I, um, wanted to say thank you.’

Herah smiled.

‘You’re feeling better?’ she asked.

‘Some,’ he said. ‘The, uh, physical effects are the same, but the weight… the weight in my mind is lessened.’

‘I’m glad.’

‘So, er, what was I interrupting? It sounded like an amusing conversation.’

The two women glanced at each other, and Herah saw Cassandra’s cheeks redden to match hers.

‘Do you know, I really can’t remember, Commander,’ Herah said, taking a sip of her wine. ‘Tell us, any interesting stories from the barracks?’

 

Cullen stayed with them for half an hour or so before making his excuses and leaving. When he was gone, Cassandra turned to her friend, her eyebrows raised.

‘That was… unexpected,’ she said.

‘Hmmm,’ Herah said, lost in thought.

‘You’re looking very flushed.’

Herah shook herself and turned to see her friend watching her, one eyebrow quirked.

‘Am I?’ she asked, trying to keep her face neutral. ‘I’ve probably had a bit too much wine.’

‘You’ve barely drunk a drop since the Commander arrived.’

‘You’re digging for something,’ Herah said, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

‘Me? Noooo,’ Cassandra said, and the two chuckled.

‘So, you don’t still harbour a soft spot for the Commander then?’ Cassandra asked casually, when she had stopped laughing.

‘I care for him, yes. I also care for you and Dorian and Varric.’

‘And that is all?’

‘Well, I care for Cole and Josie and…’

‘You know what I meant!’

Herah sighed. ‘That’s all it can be, Cassie. You know he’s not interested in me that way.’

‘Do I? He doesn’t act like a man who’s not interested. Quite the opposite in fact.’

‘He’s just embarrassed about us seeing him lose control. That’s not the same as attraction.’

‘But…’

‘Nor is gratitude.’

‘Gratitude?’

Herah shrugged.

‘Cullen made it quite clear he wasn’t interested in me when we first met. I don’t want someone who has grown to look past my physical shortcomings and has convinced themselves that they are attracted to me because they’ve raised me up on a pedestal as the Herald of Andraste.’ 

She flushed. ‘Not that I’m saying Cullen has done that, but I want somebody who is attracted to me for who and what I am. Me. Not the Inquisitor, not the Herald, not because of this,’ Herah said, gesturing to the anchor. ‘If Cullen does care for me as… as more than a friend, it’s for something he believes I am. Not something I am.’

She put her head in her hands and breathed deeply, before looking up at her friend.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t know where all that came from,’ she said. ‘Sometimes… sometimes it’s hard to remember that underneath it all I can still be me. I worry that if I were, if it weren’t for the mark, well, maybe no one would care for me.’

Cassandra tentatively put her arm around her shoulders.

‘For what it is worth,’ she said, ‘I care about you for who you are. Not the Inquisitor, not the Herald. I care about Herah Adaar.’

Herah smiled weakly and brushed away a sudden moisture in her eyes.

‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘But I also think you are wrong. Because Herah Adaar is the Herald of Andraste and the Inquisitor. Not many people could carry this burden, but you do. It is part of who you are, part of what makes you brilliant. You should not fight it.’

 

‘I have a gift for you, Seeker,’ Varric said as he entered the courtyard. ‘A peace offering if you will.’

He retrieved a rectangular package from behind his back.

‘I understand you’re a fan of my romance serial. I thought you might like an advance peak of my next chapter.’

Cassandra’s eyes narrowed.

‘The Inquisitor put you up to this didn’t she?’

‘She may have mentioned it.’

She looked down at the book in her hands, clearly torn.

‘I… Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Varric said with a grin. ‘Now, I’d like to speak to you about the Inquisitor and the Commander of our Inquisition forces.’

 

‘I see you managed to persuade Varric to give you the latest chapter of his book,’ Herah said lightly, sitting down next to the warrior where she was reading.

‘I think we both know it wasn’t my skills of persuasion that achieved that,’ Cassandra said, sparing her friend a glance, before turning back to the page she was on, a faint smile playing on her lips. ‘Thank you, by the way.’

‘You’re welcome. I’ve seen the two of you talking quite a lot over the past few days. It’s good to see you getting along.’

‘We have found we do in fact have some common ground,’ Cassandra said, marking her place with her finger and looking up.

‘I was actually hoping you might want to come with us on a quest. If it’s any temptation, you’ll finally get to find out who Bianca is.’

‘I knew it!’

‘I’ll take that as a yes, then.’

 

‘So, are you okay?’ Herah asked, sitting down next to Varric by the fire. They had returned from Valammar late that afternoon, and Varric had squirrelled himself away in his rooms ever since.

‘I will be,’ Varric said, looking up at her with a small smile. He sighed heavily. ‘I’ve always known she was trouble. But I never thought… I don’t know if I can forgive her for this.’

Herah squeezed his shoulder. ‘I’m more worried about you forgiving yourself. You can’t beat yourself up about this, Varric. It’s not your fault.’

‘If I hadn’t…’

‘Stop,’ Herah said, gently but firmly. ‘You can’t second guess yourself all the time, Varric, or you’ll never get any peace. The number of people who may have died as a result of the Inquisition’s action or inaction at any one time…’ She closed her eyes against the images that plagued her on the bad days and shook her head. ‘All you can do is do what you believe to be right and hope for the best.’

‘How can you still believe in me? After all of this?’

‘You’re a good man, Varric.’

The dwarf shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t even be here if Cassandra hadn’t kidnapped me.’

‘Yes, you would. Look at how accountable you feel about Corypheus. There is no way you would have sat by and watched the world burn around you. You’d have heard what happened and shown up on my doorstep demanding to help.’

Varric reached up and squeezed her hand where it still rested on his shoulder.

‘Thanks, Horns,’ he said with a smile.

‘You going to be okay?’ she asked.

‘I will be.’

 

‘I’m impressed,’ Cassandra said, as she handed Herah a glass of wine later that evening. Herah raised her eyebrows, and she continued, ‘Personally I would have turned Bianca into a pincushion if she’d threatened to squish my eyeballs.’

Herah shook her head.

‘It’s hard to believe someone like Varric could care about such a…’

‘Bitch?’ Dorian said, coming to sit down at their table in the pub. ‘You don’t mind me joining you, do you? I thought we should have our de-brief before Varric re-emerges.’

‘How is Varric?’ Cassandra asked, turning to Herah.

‘Beating himself up,’ Herah said.

‘That dwarf has him wrapped around her little finger,’ Dorian said. ‘You know she’s married?’

Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

‘But I thought…’

‘Didn’t we all.’

 

‘Whose deal is it?’ Varric asked, cracking his knuckles.

‘Must you do that?’ Cassandra asked, glowering at him from across the table.

‘I’m sorry, Seeker, does it bother you?’ he asked with a grin.

‘It’s my deal,’ Herah said, before the Seeker could reply. She met Dorian’s gaze and winked as she pulled the cards towards her. It had been a week since the events of Valammar and it seemed Varric was beginning to get back to normal.

‘Deal me out, this round,’ Blackwall said, standing up. ‘I ought to be getting to bed.’

‘I think Buttercup may have beaten you to it,’ Varric commented wryly as a soft snore sounded from beneath the table. Blackwall chuckled and left the room with a wave, as Herah dealt the cards to the rest of the party.

‘Well I fold,’ Cassandra said in disgust, flinging her hand down on the table.

‘Seeker, you’re not meant to fold until someone raises the stakes,’ Varric said.

‘I bet one silver,’ Josephine said. Cullen narrowed his eyes.

‘I’ll see that bet. I think I’ve figured out your tells, Lady Ambassador.’

‘Commander, a Lady has no tells.’

‘I fold,’ Varric said, with a significant glance at Dorian, who quietly did the same. Herah raised her eyebrows at him, and he simply smirked.

‘I raise,’ Bull said, adding another five silver to the pot, clearly not part of the set up.

‘Well that makes my decision easy,’ Herah said, folding her hand. She sat back and grinned as Josephine promptly matched Bull’s bet.

‘I didn’t say anything about Bull’s tells,’ Cullen muttered, sighing heavily as he added his own coin to the pot. He caught Herah’s eye and smiled, before ducking his head.

Half an hour later and the game was over. Bull had been dragged off by Dorian, muttering about Antivan diplomats, and Cullen had scurried off minus his armour.

Josephine grinned as she scooped up her winnings. ‘I did try to warn him. I bid you good night, Inquisitor, Seeker, Ser Tethras.’

‘The Commander doesn’t come up badly under all that armour, does he?’ Cassandra murmured as the ambassador left the room. Herah shot her a look, the blood rushing to her cheeks as she heard Varric’s soft chuckle behind her.

‘No, he does not, Seeker. I imagine he could probably do with somebody to soothe his embarrassment right about now though,’ he said, with a significant look at Herah. Herah glared at him.

‘You set him up,’ she accused.

‘Would we do something like that?’ Varric said, while Cassandra chuckled. Herah didn’t know whether to snort with annoyance or laughter.

‘I’m going to bed,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight,’ they chorused behind her, as she walked out the door.

 

‘I have made a terrible mistake,’ Cassandra said, as she slumped down at Herah’s desk, head in hands. Herah looked up in amusement from where she sat reading a report on the sofa.

‘Woke up feeling a little worse for wear this morning, did we?’ she asked. ‘There’s some potion in the cabinet.’

Cassandra groaned and heaved herself up and over to the cabinet in the corner. After a few minutes grumbling she found the potion and chugged it in one swallow, before going back to the desk and sinking into the chair again.

‘It’s not so much how I woke up, as where I woke up,’ she said, banging her head on the desk. Herah marked her place in the report, putting it to one side as she sat up.

‘Where you woke up?’

Cassandra lifted her head just enough to look at her.

‘I… may have woken up in Ser Tethras’ quarters,’ she mumbled, before letting her head drop again.

‘No!’ Herah exclaimed sitting bolt upright. ‘How…? When…?’

‘We stayed in the tavern after you left,’ came the muffled reply. ‘When the tavern closed, Varric suggested I join him for a drink in his quarters.’

‘And…?’

‘And what?’

‘Did he live up to expectations? Is his sword mightier than his quill?’ Herah asked with a smirk.

‘I… can’t remember.’

‘Umm hmmm,’ Herah said. ‘Was he there when you woke up?’

‘He was still asleep.’

‘Cassie!’

‘I know,’ Cassandra said, banging her head against the table.

‘You need to talk to him.’

‘I know!’

There was a soft knock at the door. Herah stood up.

‘Don’t think this conversation is over,’ she said, as she walked down the stairs. She opened the door to a somewhat dishevelled dwarf.

‘Morning, Horns,’ he said. ‘Mind if I come up?’

‘Be my guest,’ Herah said, gesturing for him to go upstairs ahead of her. She waited until a muffled ‘Shit!’ sounded from the room above before calling out, ‘I’ll just leave you two to it. See you later!’

Chuckling to herself, she left the room, pulling the door behind her and walked down to the great hall, straight into the Commander.

‘I-Inquisitor!’ Cullen exclaimed. ‘I was, er, just coming to see you. Do you think we could go up to your quarters?’

‘I’m afraid my quarters are occupied at the moment,’ Herah said. The Commander looked instantly embarrassed and she felt her cheeks flush as she realised how that sounded.

‘Not like that!’ she added hastily. ‘Cassandra and Varric needed somewhere to talk.’

Cullen’s eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. ‘Cassandra and…?’

‘Best not to ask. How about a stroll on the battlements?’

Cullen gestured for her to lead the way.

‘I, ah, wanted to apologise for last night,’ he said, rubbing his neck awkwardly once they were out of the hall. She smiled at the gesture.

‘I imagine there are several people who wish to draw a veil over last night, Commander,’ she said with a chuckle. ‘For the record, you have nothing to apologise for.’

‘Such behaviour is not becoming in the Commander of the Inquisition,’ he said, his cheeks pink.

‘No, but it is quite endearing in a friend,’ she said, glancing at him. ‘And I like to think that last night you were the latter.’

She stopped and turned to look out over the castle so he wouldn’t see the smile playing on her lips.

‘Did you manage to make it back to your rooms without being spotted?’ she asked innocently. He came and leaned on the wall beside her.

‘Yes,’ he sighed. He shook his head, ‘I’d certainly have heard about it by now if one of the men had seen me.’

She chuckled. ‘Yes. That would have gone around Skyhold like veil fire. As it is, I doubt you’re even the most interesting piece of gossip from last night.’

He turned to her and raised his eyebrows. ‘Cassandra and Varric?’

‘My lips are sealed,’ she said. ‘And unless you want to get on the Seeker’s bad side, I would suggest that yours are too.’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ he said with a smirk. ‘You are, ah, not adverse to our people getting romantically involved then?’

She looked at him in surprise.

‘Why would I be?’

‘Well it, ah, can cause complications.’

‘True,’ she said, looking away to hide the blush that she was sure was travelling up her neck. ‘However, they are still people. And people have urges. More than that, I think the benefits of our people being happy far outweigh any complications romantic liaisons might bring.’

She looked back at him and saw that his cheeks were as red as hers felt.

‘You would discourage it?’ she asked.

‘No! I, ah, well that is, I agree. I just wondered what your thoughts were on the matter,’ he said, rubbing his neck again. He looked out over the keep, clearly uncomfortable. ‘I, um, had heard that you might have… Well, you and a, um, certain Qunari mercenary?’

‘Bull?’ she asked. She bit her lip, wishing that she were not here, having this conversation. ‘There was one night. After I came out of the fade without Stroud. But it was just one night.’

She expected her cheeks to spontaneously burst into flame and felt the need to elaborate.

‘Bull’s a great guy but we have, er, different interests. You may have noticed he’s spending quite a lot of time with a certain Tevinter these days.’

‘I, er, would have thought you’d have a lot in common,’ he said.

She snorted, ‘Because we’re both Qunari? Bull is Ben Hassrath, or was until that fiasco with the Qun. I am Vashoth. In the eyes of the Qun, I’m not even a Qunari. I’m just a very tall woman with horns.’

‘Oh,’ Cullen said, looking as though he wished the ground could swallow him up. He rubbed his neck and looked at her.

‘You’re not that tall,’ he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She glanced across to him and realised that their eyes were level.

‘I guess not,’ she said, matching his smile. ‘When you discount the horns.’

‘They are magnificent though,’ he said. He lifted a hand as though he would touch them, and then dropped it to his neck again.

‘We, uh, better get back to work,’ he said.

‘We should,’ she said, pushing away from the wall. ‘Hopefully I shall have my quarters back by now.’

‘Well, if you don’t, you’re, ah, welcome to share my office.’

‘Thank you, Commander.’

 

‘Cassie? Varric?’ Herah called as she went up the stairs.

The rooms were empty. Hoping that this was a good sign, and not an indicator that Cassandra had thrown the dwarf over the balcony, Herah picked up the report she had been reading before she was interrupted and settled down on the sofa to finish it.

It wasn’t until she re-read the same paragraph for the third time that she threw the report down in frustration, and got up to pace on her balcony, the conversation with the Commander playing on her mind.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out there when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

‘Something against knocking?’ she asked, her eyebrow raised as she saw the dwarf standing apologetically at the top of the stairs.

‘I thought I’d find you beneath a pile of paperwork,’ he said, gesturing at her desk.

‘Somehow, I find my mind on other matters this morning,’ she said with a smirk. ‘I’m pleased to see you’re relatively unscathed.’

‘Ah, the Seeker’s a pussy cat really. Always knew she couldn’t keep her hands off me.’

‘The two of you have come to an understanding?’

‘Of sorts,’ Varric said with a grin.

‘I’m glad,’ she said. ‘Just don’t go breaking her heart, Varric. She’s might be tough on the outside, but Cassie’s a big romantic on the inside.’

‘Is this the talk?’ Varric asked. ‘I hope she’s getting one as well!’

Herah snorted. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

 

‘I suppose it’s better than the damned dress,’ Herah said, straightening the formal attire and inspecting herself in the polished metal hanging on the wall. She looked over at the rest of their party.

‘You’re sure I can do this? I’ve never been one for politics, and you know those Orlesian nobles are going to hate me from the start.’

‘My dear, you’ve been playing the game ever since you took up the role of Inquisitor, and you’ve been playing it beautifully,’ Vivienne said.

Herah exchanged a glance with Cullen, who looked as uncomfortable as she did. He smiled ruefully at her and she rolled her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the vestibule of the Winter Palace.

 

‘I thought I’d find you out here,’ Cullen said. ‘How are you feeling?’

Herah turned from where she was leaning on the balcony.

‘It’s been a long night,’ she sighed.

‘I know what you mean,’ he said, moving to lean beside her and look out over the gardens. ‘I’ve always hated politics. The lies, the deceptions… Give me a sword and a shield over subterfuge and plots any day of the week. You know where you are on the battle field.’

She nodded.

‘Leliana, Vivienne, Josie… They all seem to find it invigorating. I just find it tiring.’

‘You played the game like a master though. I was very impressed.’

‘As did you, Commander. All those ladies, and gentlemen, crowding around you. You were quite the belle of the ball.’

He snorted, and the two lapsed into silence. Herah was just about to speak when Cullen straightened and stepped away.

‘Would you care for a dance, Lady Adaar?’ he said, bowing low and holding out his hand. She hesitated for just a moment.

‘I’d be honoured, Commander Rutherford,’ she said, taking his hand and stepping into him, her breath catching as he pulled her close. A moment later, he pushed her gently away, twirling her out and under his arm, and she let out a giggle as she ducked to avoid her horns tearing his coat. He pulled her close again, and she smiled at him.

‘You dance beautifully, Commander.’

‘I think that has a lot to do with my partner, Inquisitor.’

‘You are both exquisite, my dears, but we really should be going. It isn’t done to overstay one’s welcome at the Palace.’

The two broke away and looked towards Vivienne, who was standing in the doorway, her eyes twinkling. Herah busied herself with brushing down her coat to hide her confusion.

‘Another time perhaps,’ Cullen said, a look she couldn’t decipher on his face.

‘I’d like that,’ she said softly. He grinned and gestured her into the library.

 

‘Are you alright? There’s no reason for me to waste my time with you if you’re just going to let me win you know,’ Dorian smirked as he moved to take Cullen’s rook.

‘Maker’s breath! How did I miss that?’ Cullen asked, leaning forward, a frown of frustration on his face.

‘Perhaps that’s not the only thing you’ve been missing?’

Cullen looked up sharply, before returning his gaze to the board. He grinned and moved a piece forward.

‘Well, I didn’t miss that,’ he said triumphantly. Dorian chuckled.

‘No, you picked that up perfectly,’ he said, moving his own piece to capture Cullen’s own. ‘That would be the game, Commander. I do hope Lady Adaar returns soon or I’m going to need to find a new hobby.’

‘If you’re insinuating that my distraction is in some way related to the Inquisitor’s absence then you are mistaken.’

‘I was doing nothing of the sort. I was merely commenting that the Inquisitor is the only opponent other than yourself, recent form aside of course, who actually presents a challenge.

‘Of course, your mind did leap to that conclusion quite rapidly, Commander, so now I am forced to wonder if actually I should have been insinuating that all along.’

Cullen flushed, causing Dorian to chuckle at his discomfiture.

‘You’ll be relieved to hear that the party to the Emprise du Lion should be returning tomorrow,’ Dorian said. ‘I understand the mission went well.’

Cullen looked up at him.

‘Any injuries?’

‘A couple of the party received a few nasty blows, but nothing that Madame du Fer was unable to mend.’

Cullen visibly sagged with relief. Dorian smirked and stood up.

‘Well, any time you fancy a rematch, let me know, Commander.’

 

Herah fell backwards onto her bed with a sigh. The Emprise du Lion had been a tough trip and she felt as though she could sleep for days. It had been all she could do to get through the de-briefing with Leliana and Josie. She felt the bed embrace her and her eyes began to close, only to open again at the sound of a knock on the door to her quarters.

For a moment she considered ignoring it, but her conscience got the better of her. With a groan she heaved herself off the bed and walked slowly down the stairs. She opened the door to find the Commander just turning to leave.

‘Cullen?’

‘Inquisitor? I, er, didn’t disturb you did I?’ he asked rubbing his neck. She couldn’t help the rueful smile that tugged at her lips and he flushed. ‘I did. I’m sorry, I, er, just wanted to apologise for missing the de-brief and find out how the mission went. I shall… I’ll come back later.’

He turned and left before she could stop him, leaving her watching his retreating back with a bemused expression on her face. She was too exhausted to deal with this now, she decided. Sighing she turned and closed the door, walking back up the stairs to her chambers and her waiting bed.

 

Herah opened her eyes to the bright morning light. She yawned, stretching out her limbs and arching her back. Maker, but it felt good to be in a proper bed again.

Levering herself out of bed, she made her morning ablutions. Steaming jugs of hot water stood by her bath, and she smiled to herself, sending a fond thought to Josie for being such a thoughtful advisor.

It was almost mid-morning by the time she was dressed and ready to take on the day. There was a small pile of reports on her desk, and she took the time to read through them before summoning her war council.

‘Inquisitor.’

Cullen greeted her in his usual manner. She smiled.

‘Commander. I apologise for not being more accommodating last night. I was exhausted.’

She heard a muffled snigger from Leliana behind her and felt her cheeks flush.

‘That’s, er, quite alright, Inquisitor. I apologise for interrupting your rest,’ Cullen said, a matching blush creeping up his neck.

‘I have some time after the council, if you’d care to join me for a walk?’ she said, steadfastedly ignoring her other advisors. ‘I can de-brief you on the mission.’

‘I believe I could spare half an hour or so,’ Cullen said, as he took his place by the table.

‘Excellent,’ Herah said with a smile. ‘Josie, where are we with smoothing over relations in Orlais?’

 

‘It sounds as though the Emprise du Lion was more challenging than we had anticipated?’ Cullen said, as they leant against the battlement wall.

‘We got done what we needed to, but we were lucky not to incur any losses.’

‘Dorian said there had been injuries?’

‘A few,’ Herah said. ‘Bull and Cassie took the brunt of it. Vivienne patched us up as best she could.’

He nodded, rubbing his neck. ‘I, ah, know it sounds foolish, but I was worried for you.’

She turned her head to look at him, her pulse quickening.

‘That’s not foolish,’ she said softly. He dropped his hand and turned, pulling her round to face him, as he stepped closer to her.

‘Herah, I- I want you to know that I…’

‘Commander!’

They both turned to look at the private. Cullen stepped away from her, and she felt bereft.

‘Private?’ he said, his voice almost menacing.

‘You asked for the report from the spy master as soon as it came in, Ser,’ the private stammered, glancing between them. His eyes widened.

‘I’ll, er, leave it on your desk, Commander,’ the private said. He sprinted away as though a horde of rage demons were on his tail. Cullen turned back to Herah, but she took a step back, suddenly aware of where she was and who she was with.

‘I’m sorry, Commander, I need to go. I, er, I promised Josie I’d talk to her about the arrangements for the Orlesian nobles.’

She smiled weakly at him, and turned, walking briskly down the ramparts. Cullen stood watching her until she was out of sight before letting out a muffled yell of frustration. Sagging against the blockade, he put his head on his hands.

‘Don’t give up.’

Cullen started at the soft voice behind him, relaxing only marginally when he saw it was Cole.

‘What?’ he demanded.

‘She cares, but she is hurting. Scared. Scared of rejection. Scared that it’s not real. She wears so many faces, plays so many roles. Needs to be sure. Needs you to be sure. Herah, not Herald. Adaar, not Inquisitor.’

Cullen stared at the boy.

‘I need to go,’ he said. Cole nodded.

‘Make it right,’ he said, as the commander walked briskly in the direction Herah had gone, towards the courtyard.

It didn’t take him long to reach the Seeker’s usual training spot. He was relieved to find her alone.

‘Commander,’ she said, swinging her sword at a dummy. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I, er, I need your help,’ he said, his hand retreating to his neck as it always did when he was nervous. She lowered her sword and looked at him, taking in his flushed cheeks.

‘Not just mine,’ she said.

 

‘So, Commander, the Seeker here tells me you’re in need of our assistance. How can we be of service?’

Cullen shifted uncomfortably, avoiding the dwarf’s gaze. Unfortunately, that led him to meet Dorian’s barely concealed smirk. Eventually he settled on looking at Cassandra.

‘Was it really necessary for there to be an audience for this?’ he asked, turning to Cassandra. She shrugged.

‘We all care for the Inquisitor, Commander. We want her to be happy.’

Cullen sighed heavily.

‘Cole… Cole told me something about the Inquisitor,’ he said.

‘Oh? What did he tell you?’ Varric asked. The Commander flushed and Varric took pity on him. ‘In my experience, Curly, the kid only tells you what you need to hear.’

‘He… he told me that Herah was worried that… that someone might not care for her.’

‘You’re surprised?’ Varric asked. ‘She’s the Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste. How many people do you think look at her and see past that?’

‘Especially someone who didn’t appear interested when she was nothing but a suspected criminal and murderer of the divine,’ Dorian said.

Cullen’s face grew even redder. ‘She-she thinks that? But…’

‘Don’t cut yourself up about it, Curly, I don’t think she took it personally. It just makes it harder for her to believe that you have done a complete turnaround based on anything other than the pedestal she thinks you’ve put her on,’ Varric said.

‘But I didn’t-,’ Cullen rested his temples on his fingertips and looked at the dwarf, sighing heavily. ‘So how can I…?’

‘You truly care for her?’ Varric asked. Cullen nodded, and Varric sat back looking satisfied.

‘There is something I have been meaning to requisition myself,’ Dorian said, picking at his nails. ‘For a certain Qunari mercenary.’  
He coughed, a slight pink tinting his tanned cheeks.

‘Apparently, among the Qunari, there is a tradition that one exchanges necklaces. Pendants made from a dragon’s tooth, broken in two. To demonstrate that they will be together, no matter where life takes them.’

‘Herah is not Qunari,’ Cullen said.

‘She’s not of the Qun, but they are still the closest thing to a people she has. She’ll be aware of the tradition. I’d wager her parents wore the pendants, for all that they were Tal Vashoth,’ Varric said. ‘And courting her as a Qunari will show her that you care for her and her heritage, not in spite of it.’  
Cullen sighed, and lifted his drink.

‘Dragon hunting it is.’ He took a swallow, looking slightly perkier. ‘Do you know, I haven’t hunted a dragon in years? This could actually be fun.’

Varric laughed.

‘Keep that optimism, Curly. You’ll need it. Oh, and you’re going to have to take Tiny with you. He’ll sulk if you don’t.’

 

‘Cullen, Commander Cullen, has gone on some unknown quest to the Hinterlands with Bull, Dorian and Vivienne?’ Herah asked looking around her war table. Leliana and Josie exchanged glances before shrugging in sync.

‘Well, do you know when they’ll be back?’ Herah asked.

‘I believe Cullen was hoping he would not be gone more than a week, Inquisitor,’ Josephine said. ‘Shall we continue with the reports?’

Herah nodded, hardly listening to her advisors as they updated her on the progress of their missions. When they were done, she dismissed them with a smile, and went to hunt down Varric.

‘Do you know anything about this mysterious trip to the Hinterlands?’ she asked, sinking down into a chair by the fire.

‘Well its good to see you too, Horns.’

She looked at him and he grinned.

‘Dorian did mention something about it. I think the Commander just wanted to get out of the keep for a bit, back into the field. He seemed to be quite keen on killing things.’

Herah bit her lip. She hadn’t had a chance to speak to the Commander since the incident on the battlements.

‘He’s not… You don’t thing he’s, well…’

‘On a death wish?’ Varric chuckled. ‘He looked quite excited when they left. Don’t worry about it, Horns. If he were that way inclined, he wouldn’t have taken Tiny along.’

Herah gave him a look. ‘Because Bull is renowned for his risk adverse nature?’

Varric patted her hand reassuringly.

‘They’ll be back in no time.’

 

‘She is magnificent,’ Bull breathed.

Cullen looked down the valley, but all he could see was the huge, fucking dragon that sat in the middle of the clearing.

‘Sweet maker,’ he said, swallowing hard. He adjusted his armour and drew his sword.

‘For the Herald!’ he yelled, leading the charge.

 

Herah stomped up the stairs to her quarters feeling thoroughly fed up. It was now eight days since Cullen had left for the Hinterlands and they’d had no word. She’d distracted herself as much as possible: sharing wine with Varric and Cassie until they made it blatantly obvious she was a third wheel; pranking with Sera and even asking Solas about rift magic, although she’d sworn to herself never again after he invited himself into her dreams at Haven.

She poured herself a healthy measure of whisky and stepped out onto the balcony, taking in a huge breath of the crisp mountain air.

‘Inquisitor.’

She jumped, the tumbler slipping from her hands.

‘I really need to get a lock for the door downstairs. That was good whisky, I’ll have you know,’ she said once she had gathered her composure, her voice shaking slightly.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,’ Cullen said, stepping away from the ledge.

‘You may wish to avoid lurking on balconies in future then,’ she said with a slight smile, moving to stand in front of him. He smiled wryly, his hand going to its customary position by his neck.

‘I heard you went on a mission to the Hinterlands with Bull,’ she said, meeting his eyes. ‘I’m pleased to see you’re relatively unscathed.’

She raised a hand towards a fading bruise on his cheekbone, before catching herself. She let her hand fall again, but Cullen caught it.

‘Not completely unscathed. It’s been a while since I took down a dragon.’

Herah’s eyes widened.

‘A dragon?’ she asked, disbelievingly.

‘What, you think you get all the fun?’ he said with a slight smirk. She looked down at their joined hands and flushed.

‘I, er, wanted to speak to you,’ she said, starting to move her hand away, but Cullen held it fast.

‘You’re not curious as to why I felt the need to go hunt down a dragon?’ he asked. She frowned at him, watching cautiously as he let go of her hand and reached into his cloak. Her breath caught as he pulled out a large tooth hung on a pendant, his hands shifting so the tooth broke in two.

‘A dragon’s tooth, split in two,’ he said. ‘So no matter how far apart life takes us…’

‘…we’ll always be together,’ Herah whispered, her eyes filling with tears. ‘How…?’

Cullen stepped closer so they were almost touching, reaching out to cup her face. Wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb, he smiled.

‘I wanted to show you how much I care about you,’ he said. ‘You. Herah Adaar.’

He watched her closely, his eyes playing over her face as he slowly leaned forward, tentatively pressing his lips to hers. Herah hesitated for a fraction of a second, before wrapping her arms around him and deepening the kiss, stepping backwards until her back met the wall. Cullen let out a soft groan as he pressed against her, one hand moving to her hip as she shifted against him.

He pulled back reluctantly and smiled shyly.

‘I’m sorry, that was, ah, really nice,’ he said, ducking his head to steal another kiss. ‘But I should really head back to my quarters.’

‘Don’t,’ she said, reaching for his hand and holding him fast as he made to move away. She leant forward and pressed a shy kiss against his lips. She met his eyes. ‘I’d prefer it if you stayed.’

A wide smile spread across his face. Pulling her back into his arms, he gently led her backwards, into the bedroom.

 

Herah woke that morning to the sound of low groans beside her. Shifting onto her side, she frowned in concern as she saw Cullen twitching in his sleep, clearly in the throes of a nightmare.

Wrapping her arms around him, she stroked his hair until the nightmare receded and his breathing softened.

‘Mmmm, that feels nice,’ he said. She opened her eyes to see him smiling up at her and bent down to press a kiss to his lips.

‘Bad dream?’ she asked. He propped himself up to look at her.

‘I didn’t mean to worry you,’ he said, looking at her in concern.

She smiled softly. ‘You can let me worry about you a little, kadan.’

‘Kadan?’ he asked, frowning in confusion.

‘It’s Qunqut. It means my heart.’

He looked for a moment like he didn’t know what to say.

‘Kadan,’ he murmured, pulling her down to him again. Something bumped against him and he reached down to touch the pendant hanging on her chest.

‘You’re wearing it,’ he said, almost reverently.

‘Of course,’ she said, bending to kiss him again.

‘I’ve never felt anything like this before,’ he murmured. She pulled back and looked at him uncertainly, her eyes playing across his face.

‘I love you, Cullen. You know that, right?’

A grin suffused his face.

‘I love you too, Herah.’

 

‘Varric, what can I do for you?’ Cullen said, looking up from his paperwork.

‘It’s more what I can do for you, Curly. The Inquisitor suggested you might need my help.’

Cullen frowned. ‘Oh. With what?’

‘Learning how to play Wicked Grace, Commander. I think her exact words were “the entirety of Skyhold seeing the Commander of the Inquisition in all his glory is one thing, but I’ll be damned if they get to see my kadan.”’

Varric chuckled as Cullen turned a delicate shade of puce.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading:)


End file.
